


Running Away From It All

by Spocktopus



Category: Moral Orel
Genre: Everyone is miserable, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Character Death, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24671713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spocktopus/pseuds/Spocktopus
Summary: Karl Latchkey tries to cope with the loss of his distant father, his immature wife, and a son he hates.
Relationships: Karl Latchkey/Kim Latchkey
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Running Away From It All

Karl didn’t really know what a lawyer does. He knew what they were, of course. They had one in the family for years, solving everything from his dad’s business problems, to helping him get married to Kim, to his mom’s affairs when she died. They seemed magical, able to evaporate legal consequences and lawsuits with a snap of their pen caps and a flutter of paperwork. They could get you out of trouble. They could get you into trouble, if they were on the other side. They seemed above it all, above normal people.

Karl adjusted his steering wheel as the road before him bent gently. The highway was dotted with cars driven by tired workers returning from their shifts. The sun was steadily sneaking down the sky like a bead of sweat. The radio sang to him through a soft layer of static. His eyes were locked on the road ahead.

When he talked to his dad’s lawyer, he didn’t seem magical anymore. As he tried to walk through estates and properties, laws and rules, money and inheritance, it all flew over Karl’s head in a rush. The lawyer asked if he understood. Karl said yes. He grunted, stood from the marble desk where he sat, and clapped Karl on the shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, son. Damn shame he didn’t leave you more. You coulda been a billionaire. I guess fifty million will just have to do. Keep the wife and kid happy, eh?”

Karl nodded. He couldn’t stop staring at his shoes.

“Don’t worry, kid. We can always fight the state for more! We can worry about that after the funeral. All planned out ahead of time, of course. Your father was a very responsible man with his money, oh yes. Take care of yourself, Karl, okay? Call me when you’re ready to fight for a bit more of that pie.”

The lawyer handed him an off-white business card embossed with his name and number. His shiny black shoes clacked on the tile floor as he left the study. Karl’s eyes burned from not blinking.

The road straightened and Karl coasted on cruise control. He wondered when he would start to feel sad. Like people on TV, crying, wailing, praying, yearning. Standing miserably in front of holes in the ground or clutching urns with teary eyes and shaky hands. He felt something, he supposed. He didn’t feel the same as he did before he knew. It was harder to breathe, harder to look at other people. Sometimes, it felt like there was a monster in his stomach tearing a hole into him. Is that what being sad felt like? Really, truly sad? It didn’t take so long with him mom, but he was young then. Just a dumb kid.

The radio’s songs turned to joyful saccharine commercials. He punched the radio off. 

Yes, they seemed above it all. But, they couldn’t bring him back. No matter how much he paid them.

The drive melted into nothing. He pulled into his driveway in Moralton and stepped into the kitchen. Doughy was there, taking snacks out of the cabinet. His eyes widened and he froze. Karl felt rage boiling inside him. He hated when he looked at him like that. All scared and pathetic. What a loser. 

“What are you doing in the cabinets? Is all the food you already eat not good enough for you?”

Doughy looked away. “Mom didn’t make dinner yet, I-”

“Yeah, yeah. Here, take this and get lost.”

Karl dug into his pockets and tossed a few crumpled twenties at Doughy. He caught them, frowning at them in his hands. He slowly walked towards the door. Karl huffed and shoved the crackers and peanut butter back into the cabinet.

“Dad?”

No answer. The box of crackers crinkled loudly in Karl’s hands.

“Why do you always give me money to make me go away?”

Karl whipped his head around the cabinet door in fury. “Why are you asking me so many stupid questions? My daddy gave me money all the time, and I  _ never _ complained! I always went away when he asked me to! And now my daddy is dead, so you better appreciate what your daddy does for you!”

Doughy’s eyes widened in shock. “G-Grandpa is... dead?”

“Why don’t you just get out of here? I’m tired of talking to you.”

Doughy looked down and turned away. He shut the door behind him with a click.

“Finally,” Karl spit under his breath. He walked around the corner into the living room.

Kim sat cross legged on the couch, the blue-white light of the TV making her look like a ghost in the dark living room. When she saw him, she giggled joyfully.

“Hi, honey. How are you?”

Karl nearly sat on top of her. Kim threw her arms around him playfully, looking up at him with her big round eyes.

“Let’s go to the bedroom, babe. Let’s go right now!”

Kim laughed. “Why, you’re being persistent! What’s the ru-”

Karl cut her off, picking her up over his shoulder. She shrieked and broke into a fit of laughter, kicking her legs and holding tight to his shirt. He almost ran to the bedroom and threw her on the bed, jumping on top of his wife and kissing her roughly. He snaked his hands all over Kim’s body. Kim wiggled beneath him and moaned like a cat in heat.

“Oh, yes Karl! Oh my god, oh yes let’s do it yes!”

Karl shoved his hands under her shirt. 

“Oh yes! Oh, this is sooo great! Ah, yes!”

Karl slid his pants down to his ankles.

“Oh god yes! Please!”

Karl looked into her pleading eyes.

“Do you love me?”

“Oh yes, oh yes Karl! Oh yes!”

“Do you really love me, Kim?”

Kim’s face crumbled from ecstasy to annoyance in a second. She scoffed. “I already said yes, Karl. Now, let’s go.”

Karl said nothing else until he finished.

Karl slid the screen door to his backyard patio away. The sun was almost down now, and the trees cast long looming shadows as they swayed in the evening breeze. Karl reached into his back pocket and pulled out a squished pack of cigarettes. His heart raced a little as he pulled one out. He had never tried them before. He was always too nervous about them, even in high school. He almost dropped his ID at the convenience store he bought them from. “Now’s as good a time as any,” he guessed.

His hands shook a bit as he took one to his lips. A flickering flame from an old lighter lit the cigarette and Karl dragged in. He nearly dropped everything when he coughed. It was much more intense than he expected, hot and earthy and bitter. He shoved the lighter back into his pocket and grabbed the cigarette from his mouth before he dropped it. Coughing out the smoke, he leaned on the patio railing for support, letting the cigarette lazily coil smoke into the air. After a few seconds he cleared his throat and sighed. He watched the trees dance in the wind.

He remembered how the wind would run through the grass of the football field on windy days. The whole field would whip and roll like a green ocean. The snake-like hiss of infinite blades of grass moving together rushed in his mind, whispering like a hundred muddled voices.

The door slid open again. Kim sidled up to him with a smile, bumping him flirtatiously with her hip. Karl didn’t look at her.

Her eyes widened. “Ooh, Karl, a cigarette! How cool! Can I have one, too?”

Karl’s eyebrows went up. “You smoke?” he asked dumbly.

Kim giggled mischievously and didn’t answer. She slid a cigarette from the pack. Karl flicked the lighter on for her. She coughed roughly, and smoke billowed around her face like a steam train. She giggled between coughs. “So cool!”

Karl’s eyes stayed locked on the treeline. Kim ran her hand down his back.

“So,” she drawled seductively. “You wanna come back inside and make out?”

He locked eyes with her. “Kim, I gotta tell you something. My dad… he died.”

Kim stopped laughing. “What?” she gasped. “He’s dead? Really?”

Karl nodded. 

“Oh, oh no…” Kim muttered, her brows furrowing. Her hand rushed to her mouth. “Oh Karl, what will we do? He gave us everything! Oh, god, what, are you going to have to WORK now? Please say that you won’t!” Kim grabbed his arm. He met her hand with his.

“Relax, Kim. It’s okay. He left us money. A lot of it. I won’t have to work, ever.”

“Oh!” Kim breathed a huge sigh and laughed. “Why didn’t you just say so? You had me so worried! Don’t scare me like that!” She play-punched his arm. “Now, let’s stop talking about it and go hang out in the living room. I’ll put on your favorite movie, the one that always gets you in the mood.” Kim twirled her fingers along his arm. “It will be fun!”

Karl looked away. “Yeah, sure thing. I’ll be right in. Just, let me finish this cigarette first.” Karl puffed out his chest in pride.

Kim cooed at him. “Oh, of course. But don’t be so long, stud. I’ll be waiting!”

She pecked him on the cheek and swished away. When the door slid closed, Karl slumped over the railing. The ashing cigarette burned down, edging towards the filter. He numbly flicked it into the yard.

Maybe he should leave her. Pack up all his things and put it in the car and drive far, far away where no one knew who he was or what he’d done. He pushed the thought down with a violent headshake. No way he could, marriage was too sacred. What was he supposed to do, get married again? Divorce? The idea broke a cold sweat on his brow. He couldn’t leave her, where would he go? Who would take care of him?

He fiddled with the wood railing. What if he just took a trip for a while? A trip somewhere, anywhere he could learn how to be happy again? He wanted to be happy again. Had he ever been happy, really?

He pushed himself away from the railing and walked back into the house. It was all too much to think about.

Kim was waiting for him in the kitchen. “Hey, baby,” she giggled, twisting a lock of her hair in her fingers. “Let’s go into the living room.”

She locked her hand with his, and before he knew it he was already there. She sat him down on the couch and wrapped her arms around him. The TV droned on about nothing. In only a few moments, she was moving on him. They kissed, and he tried hard to like it. Why didn’t he like it, god dammit? Why wasn’t this working anymore?

Kim let out tiny muffled laughs on his lips as her hands travelled down to his zipper. She felt around for a moment, her little laughs turning into a noise of confusion.

“Babe, why aren’t you hard?”

Karl sputtered. “I, uh, I don’t know?”

“I reeeally want to do stuff with you,” she crooned. “Sexy stuff!”

“I want to too! I just-”

She cut him off. “It doesn’t feel like you want to.”

“I do!” he snapped.

She huffed. “Well, if you did you would be hard right now and we wouldn’t be talking.”

“It’s not my fault, Kim!”

Kim rolled her eyes, leaning up to look at him. Her face was cold. “Then, why don’t you just do it? God, you’re being so boring right now.”

Karl stood up abruptly, knocking Kim to the side with a gasp. Kim balled her fists and her face contorted into an angry scowl, like a child who was denied candy. “Why are you being so mean? I want you to be fun! Why can’t you be fun?”

Karl’s anger spewed forth like lava. “I don’t want to be fun right now, for fuck’s sake! Why don’t you just leave me alone?”

Kim’s jaw dropped in indignation. He huffed loudly like a horse. “No, you leave ME alone! Just get out of here, get away from me!”

Kim scrunched her knees up in front of her, crossing her arms. Karl didn’t move.

“I said get out!” she screamed at him.

With that, Karl turned on his heel and stomped to the front door. He slammed it behind him with ferocity, and in his haste he didn’t notice Doughy sitting on the front stoop. He tripped over him, sending both of them tumbling down the concrete step and into the grass. Karl flipped around, grunting. His eyes burned like hot coals. Doughy shook his head in a daze, but when he saw Karl he scrambled to his feet in fear. Karl sat up sharply, teeth bared.

“Dad, please, I’m sorry, I-”

“Shut up, you little shit! Why, I oughta-” Karl swiped at Doughy, almost catching him in the face. Doughy leapt away with a yelp. For a beat they stared at each other, glowering. Doughy turned away, blundered into the house, and called “Mommy! Mommy!”

Karl stood up. His ankle sent a bolt of biting pain up his leg. He hissed, biting his tongue and gripping his leg. He hobbled over to the car. With a turn of the key, he was gone into the dark. The trees waved him goodbye as they billowed in the cool night time wind.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for the idea to write about karl, supermew!


End file.
